Karu's Story
by yumster
Summary: Karu's, My Angelic Layer Character, Story
1. Prologue

She ran. She couldn't take it anymore. It was too much. She left nearly everything in that painful home. She only took her neccessities. Even though she had to leave the house, leaving her sister was the hardest yet most relieving thing ever. The burden was off her back, now. She stood in front of the train station, tired. Using the money she had saved for years, she bought a train ticket to Odaiba. She was going to start anew there. 

Months Later

Karu sighed. She sat down on her futon after another long day. It was hard for a fifteen year old girl to try to live on her own. While yes she had the freedom of choosing what things she wanted, sometimes it was too much. She still attended school, but her grades weren't doing very well. In fact coming to this new school was almost the same as her old school. The people acted the same. The teachers looked down on her. Friends were hard to come by. And the work was strenuous. And on top of all that, she had to find a job, very soon.

Karu flipped through her mail, again. She murmured to herself, "Bill, bill, bill, bill, bill, BILL! RAUGH!!"

Frustrated, she threw all of the papers into the air. The bills and the other mail fluttered down around her. She brought her knees up to her chest and stared at the papers. She then picked up her bank statement. She nearly threw it down, but stopped herself. She stared at it and then put it down carefully. As she stood up to turn off the lights, tears welled up. She turned the lights off and pulled the cover over her. Her sobs were not seen but heard through the night.

There was only enough in her account to pay for one bill. She had two weeks to find a job and get paid enough to pay off the bills.

The Next Morning

She was running, again. She ran in the building grabbing her school shoes without even looking. She ran into her classroom and into her desk right before the bell rang. Just then, she noticed the other students laughing. Not just laughing for the fun of it, but at her. Karu would have checked why, but the teacher just walked in. There was no hope in asking the teacher for going to the restroom. This teacher was already pissed off at her. Karu had made some remarks that, in a way, offended the teacher the week before. Now, Karu was at her mercy. Karu buried her face in her hands and decided to wait out the sniggers and crude remarks until break.

The break bell had rung. It wasn't even lunch, and Karu felt that she could go no lower. She had failed her last quiz because she slept through it. She also found out why the students were laughing at her through the teacher. Someone had scribbled all over her school shoes with a black permanent marker. Karu did not notice this, since she was in such a hurry. And since the teacher saw it, she was given a twenty minute lecture on neatness, cleanliness, and other things good students should be capable of.

This day was horrible, not to mention that she was dead tired. Her head hit her desktop. She hoped to get at least fifteen minutes of sleep, but that was shattered soon enough by a sharp call, "Ms. Sanaki! Come here."

Karu pulled her head off the desk. Her forehead bore a red mark from hitting her head. She stood up and started to walk to the teacher's desk. "Don't be so slow!" the teacher barked at her.

Karu fastened her pace. Once she reached the teacher, she tried to smile, which instead made her look angry happy because of her tired face. "Yes, sensei?" she asked as politely as possible.

"Don't look at me like that!" the teacher snapped. "Anyways, it seems that you have been dropping even more than usual. Get it together, already. There's a study group today afterschool. Be there."

Karu stood there staring at the teaacher who had already turned away. "Afterschool?" she asked. "I have something to do! I have to go look for a job!"

The teacher's face glared at her. "I don't care. Besides, who would want to hire you?"

As the teacher turned away, again, Karu's fist shook. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I HATE YOU! Karu bit into her lip as she went back to her seat. She could almost taste the blood.

After school and after the study group, Karu went off to look for work. The only places that would take in a high school student with her grades were a few fast food places, and even then, they would pick other people.

One Week Later

The outcomes were still the same: horrible treatment at school and no work. Karu stared at her phone from her futon. Should she? Did she want to? Of course not. But at this rate, it was the only thing she could do. Swallow her pride. Karu finally picked up the phone and dialed a number. She made sure she called the right number. It would be horrible if Naru picked up the phone. The phone on the other end was ringing. Finally, someone picked up. "Hello? This is Yuuri Sanaki's phone!" a cheerful and bubbly voice answered.

"Umma?" Karu asked uncertainly.

The voice suddenly hardened, "Yes, Karu?"

"I'm... I'm having some trouble."

"With what?"

"Bills and school."

Karu could swear that she heard her mother say, "Figures."

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

"Could you help me out, please?"

"Why? If I remember correctly, you left us. Apparently, you didn't need our help."

"I did need your help. I left because you never gave me help. You ignored me. You ignored Naru. You ignored the fact that we were bullied. You just told us it would be okay. It never did turn out okay! It never did! I couldn't take it anymore! I couldn't take it! I couldn't watch people constantly bullying Naru! I couldn't take the bullying without hitting back! I couldn't stand the faces people would give me! Not just for my hair, but also for how I acted! As if my personality was going to destroy their precious order! They wouldn't leave us alone!" Karu yelled as she slowly started to sob.

There was silence on the receiving end. "So you ran away to a place where you're having the same problems, but you're even more alone. Did you think that if you ran away, you would be happier? Karu, think for a moment. I did see your problems. I may not have understood them, but I knew about them."

Karu snapped back at her, "Really? Then why didn't the bullying ever stop? Why was it constantly done by the same people? If you saw, then why didn't you do anything about it?"

Karu was seething. The anger and stress built up in her for years were making their way out.

"You know what?" Karu yelled, cutting off her mother from saying anything. "You never helped me! I did everything for myself and Naru! I don't need you!"

Karu slammed down her phone. Large tear drops fell off her cheeks and splashed onto her hand. The warmth of the tear quickly cooled. Karu slid to the floor and covered her face.

One Week Later

Karu was in front of the landlord's office with her bags packed. She breathed in deeply and knocked on the door. The landlord opened the door and was suprised. "Ms. Sanaki?" she asked, "May I ask why you have packed up all of your things and are standing in front of my door?"

Karu blinked at the woman. "I wasn't able to pay the rent."

"What are you talking about, silly girl? You paid the rent about a week ago. I have to admit, I was worried that you weren't going to be able to pay for it by the deadline."

She noticed the blank look on Karu's face. "You didn't pay for it?"

Karu shook her head. "Well, that's strange because someone sent me a letter with a check. The letter was very short and didn't have a name. The check was also enough for a year's worth of rent. Well, have a nice day!"

The landlady closed the door and Karu stood in front of the door astounded. Karu ran to her apartment and picked up the phone. She dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up the phone. Her mother's cheerful voice answered the phone.

"Umma? Did you pay for my rent?"

Her mother's voice hardened again. "What are you talking about, Karu?"

"My rent..."

There was a pause on the other side. Karu held her breath. Was it possible? Did her mother actually help her? "Karu," her mother started softer, "that wasn't me nor your father. We still think you should come back."

Karu was silent. She thought she had heard a familiar but rare giggle in the background. Was she the one?

Karu's thoughts and questions were cut off by her mother. "Well, if that's all you need, then good-bye. Oh, and Karu, you owe her. She doesn't owe you anything."

Karu stood in her empty room with the phone in her hand. The dial tone drowning out the city.


	2. The Saga Begins

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on my Angel Fall characters. I am writing all the battles and storylines by memory, so please do not try to cut off my head if something is wrong. If there is something so bothersome that it must be changed, just e-mail me at yumster at gmail dot com. Also, I do not remember the whole battle in this chapter, so it will be shortened. 

November 2004

Karu was smiling. She finally had saved enough. It took forever to get the money because of bills and school, but she was finally able to do it. Someone had been paying for a part of her expenses, and she had a good idea who it was. Karu would e-mail her whenever possible and call her every weekend. It was good. With less pressure on her back, she could start enjoying life. She was doing better in school. Her grades improved so much that people started to come to her for help. People while still untrusting, were kinder.

She was wearing her school uniform as she stood in front of the Piffle Princess. This was not the first time she stood there, either. In fact, the Clerk had seen her so much, that he knew her as "You," even if that was what he called everyone. But to Karu, that was a good sign. She took a deep breath and clutched onto her wallet. She then stepped into the store.

It was as bustling as ever. People chatting, enjoying the atmosphere. But even more interesting were the angels that talked. Karu couldn't wait. She nearly ran up to the counter. She paced herself so she couldn't rush up to the counter. The Clerk was there as always. Karu grinned happily, "Hello!"

The Clerk looked up at her. "It's you. Are ya' here to stand around, as usual, and look at the angels?"

"No, I'm buying an angel, today!" Karu explained. "I finally got enough money!"

"Well, I guess that's good for the economy..." the Clerk muttered as he heaved an Angelic Layer Starter Kit onto the counter.

Karu quickly paid him and dashed off to open the box. The Clerk look at her rushing out of the door. "Kids, these days. Always have to rush," he said to him as he hid a small grin with his hand.

At her apartment, Karu had the contents of the box strewn out on the floorall around her. She also had sketches she drew out the night before next to her. She winced whenever she pricked her finger with the needle. The outfit was just so small and tiny. Next to her, the blank angel was slowly forming in its AE Tube.

One Hour Later

Karu beamed at the small outfit in front of her. She was looking at a green jumpsuit, purple boots and a beret, and a lavendar coat. Just then, the AE Tube beeped. Karu nearly jumped in joy. She took the small computer and looked at the screen. She looked back at the tube. Through the translucent covering, Karu could see her angel with the skin colored and hair attached. She turned her attention back to the small computer.

NAME: TYPE: POWER, SPEED, DEFENSE, ENDURANCE  
HEIGHT: 4 INCHES - 7 INCHES  
WEIGHT: 4 GRAMS - 8 GRAMS

Karu grinned and began to type. Once finished, the AE Tube beeped, again. Then the cover slowly came down. A small angel with green hair and green eyes looked forward with blank eyes. The computer then beeped.

NAME: LENA TYPE: ENDURANCE HEIGHT: 5.5 INCHES WEIGHT: 7.5 GRAMS ...LOADING FINISHED...

Karu gently took the angel hovering in the tube. She then hugged it. She knew Lena would become a friend, but she didn't know how good of a friend she would be.

The Next Day

Karu wandered into Piffle Princess, again, but not alone. She clutched her angel to her chest in security. She then boldly called out, "Is there anyone who wants to have a battle with me?"

Someone was watching her. Actually make that two someones. Ixis Star and her angel Candy Drop looked up at Karu when she announced her challenge. She's quite bold, isn't she?

Yes. Should we answer that challenge?

Of course, Ixis.

Karu was glancing around the room to watch for anyone that would accept her challenge. Suddenly a girl with blonde hair in a hoodie holding a medium built angel with brown hair and many belts was next to her. "We'll take your challenge. Is that okay?" Ixis asked with a smile.

Karu looked up at the girl and nodded eagerly. She at first thought that no one was going to answer her challenge. "We'll have it in the Angel Layers. Follow me," Ixis instructed as she started heading towards the layers.

I think she knows where to go, Ixis.

Well, just to make sure.

Karu followed them because in fact, she did not know where the Angel Layers were. She knew where the layers were, but she didn't know the difference between the two. Karu glanced at Lena as she followed her opponents down the hallway. After this battle, I'll be able to get Lena to talk like him.

Ixis found a room suitable for their battle and entered. Karu followed her cautiously. As Ixis took her seat, Karu sat in hers. She picked up the visor and looked at it for a moment. After a few seconds, she finally slipped it over her head and loaded Lena's stats into the system. She then saw Candy Drop's stats. He's strong... But we can do it, Lena!

"I think not of defeat, my courage is my strength."

Karu looked up to see Candy Drop jumping into the layer. In awe, she watched him land and then stand up. They were waiting for her. Karu picked Lena up and tossed her into the layer. "We, Karu and Lena, shall destroy those that stand in our way!"

As Lena crossed into the layer, Karu almost forgot to take control of her angel. Land on you feet, Lena. On your feet.

With little effort, Lena landed on her feet and beamed. Karu could not help but smile, either. Then someone skidded into the room. Karu distracted nearly forgot about Lena. Lena nearly went limp, but Karu caught herself before Lena fell. Making sure she had a firm grip on Lena, Karu looked up at the person who just entered. She was breathing hard. Her dark brown hair covering her dark skin. The brown eyes smiling. "Sorry, I'm late. My name's Windsong, and I will be your judge," she introduced herself as she swept her hair out of her face.

Windsong-san... Karu said to herself as she watched Windsong walk to her seat. Little did Karu know that her angel was also watching their judge.

Windsong was calculating the damage and then looked up. "Okay, Angelic Fight!"

Karu forgot that she had a battle to fight out. Both Karu and Lena quickly turned to their opponents. Lena took a stance to prepare herself for whatever was going to happen. Seeing how Candy Drop wasn't moving, Lena charged at him, preparing a punch at his head. Before she knew it Candy Drop had moved and was waiting for her at Lena's side. He's really fast!

Seeing how Lena wasn't moving, Candy Drop made his move. He was closer than Karu remembered. Suddenly, he was next to Lena and aimed a swift punch at her. Lena barely backed away fast enough to dodge it. He then aimed a roundhouse kick at her side. Karu took this chance to have Lena move behind him. Lena jumped up and over Candy Drop and landed behind him. Without turning around, she kicked out her leg backwards. Candy Drop looked bored when Lena jumped over. Ixis, why do they always try that move?

I don't know, Candy Drop. In the duo's previous battles, their opponents had tried to jump over him and hit him from the back at least once.

Knowing what was coming next, Candy Drop caught the leg. He grinned at Lena and pulled her down. Karu nearly jumped out of her seat. LENA! No! Get up!

Lena scrambled to stand up and face Candy Drop. That hit took a lot out of Lena. After all, Candy Drop was a Power angel with much higher stats, while Lena was a beginner Endurance angel.

After some more minutes of fighting, Lena's HP was nearly gone, but Candy Drop still had enough to go on. Come on, Lena! We can do it! Once more!

Karu was on the edge of her seat, literally. Lena started a cartwheel. Karu was trying to hit Candy Drop with Lena's leg as she went past. Karu gripped the seat with her sweaty hands. Just a bit more, Lena... Right before Lena reached Candy Drop, Karu fell. "GEKT!!" she yelled as she landed on the floor. Because of this, Karu stopped focusing on Lena fro a second. Lena's move faltered, giving Candy Drop a much easier chance to hit her. He aimed at kick at Lena as she fell. It was over. Karu stood up and realized what happened. Lena...

Karu picked Lena up off the layer and bowed to her opponents and judge. "Thank you for the battle."

She quickly turned around and rushed out of the room. As she walked out, Karu bit back the tears. Meanwhile Ixis, Candy Drop, Windsong and her angel were still in the room. It's a shame that it ended like that, Candy.

I guess that's where the chip comes in handy...

The two walked out after thanking Windsong. Windsong and her angel Subaru were the last ones to leave. Poor girl.

She'll get better. Don't worry, Windsong.

Windsong nodded and turned off the lights. The room was now empty and dark.


End file.
